Valuable items such as motor vehicles and aircraft will deteriorate if not stored in dry, non-humid conditions. Humid conditions often cause condensation, which results in rust. Drape or inflatable coverings may be used to stem deterioration and rust in both motor vehicles and aircraft, but they are not a complete solution.
Inflatable shelters and inflatable coverings have existed for some time. In fact, there presently exist several inflatable coverings for vehicles of various types. However, the does not presently exist an inflatable covering for helicopters which meets the somewhat rigorous requirements of storage set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and similar regulatory bodies.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,512 (the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference) describes an inflatable storage chamber for motor vehicles which may be inflated by means of an external fan. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,438,900 (the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference) discloses a protective cover for vehicles with integrated fans used for inflation. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,119,408 and 6,858,054, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference, teach similar concepts. German Patent Application DE 20 2006 000472 U1 discloses an inflatable plastic tent for motor vehicles. Canadian Patent CA 2229336C discloses an inflatable storage chamber for motor vehicle storage; Canadian Patent CA 2426370C discloses an inflatable storage chamber with a fan to keep air flowing through the chamber.
In the field of helicopter storage specifically, there are some known systems for storing helicopters in bags or coverings. PCT Application PCT/IT98/00381 (published as WO 99/35054), for example, teaches a method for storing helicopters in a textile bag, and blowing inert gas such as Nitrogen into the bag to prevent corrosion over time. U.S. App. 2013/0294002 A1 discloses a protective cover for aircraft which permits humidity to escape by its construction.
However, the prior art does not disclose or suggest a method for storing helicopters where the humidity inside of an inflatable covering is precisely monitored and controlled.
The present invention aims to solve the drawbacks of the prior art through a system and method for actively monitoring and controlling the humidity levels around an aircraft (e.g., helicopter). The present invention utilizes dehumidifiers disposed within the covering, and related monitoring equipment, to continuously monitor the humidity levels inside the covering, and provide alerts when those humidity levels increase above, or fall below, accepted levels.